Synthesizing current literature with information obtained through interviews of adoptive, gay and lesbian, and multiracial families, this book is designed to help practitioners work with diverse families. An introduction explores the concept of a "normal family" and provides an overview of the book and a description of the interview process. The first chapter, "Diverse Families in Context," provides an overview of diverse families. The next three chapters explore adoptive families: (1) "About Adoption: The Participants in Context" discusses different types of adoptions; (2) "Adapting to Adoption over the Life Span" discusses birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parents; and (3) "Treatment Issues Pertaining to Adoption" considers infertility, assessment of adoption issues, and treatment and therapist issues. The next three chapters explore homosexual families: (1) "About Homosexuality: The Participants in Context" considers gays and lesbians from a scientific and social historical context, compares heterosexual and homosexual couples and gay and lesbian relationships, and discusses gay and lesbian parenting and its impact on child development; (2) "Homosexuality over the Life Span" talks about lesbian and gay identity formation, the coming-out process, and gay and lesbian couples and families; and (3) "Treatment Issues Pertaining to Homosexuality" discusses therapists' homophobia and other treatment and therapist issues. The next three chapters explore multiracial families: (1) "About Multiraciality: The Participants in Context" gives historical and political background, discusses social science theories about interracial marriage, and talks about race and racism, issues confronting biracial couples and their children, and transracial adoption; (2) "Multiraciality across the Life Span" presents racial identity theories and identity formation of interracial couples and of transracial adoptees and their families; and (3) "Treatment Issues Pertaining to Interracial Couples and Families" discusses therapists' racism and treatment issues with biracial couples, families, and transracial adoptive families. The next chapter, "Emerging Families," discusses single parents by choice, grandparent-led families, and families by artificial reproductive technology. Extensive resources are listed at the end of the book. Contains 408 references. (LPP)